Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Welcome to the City of Rocky Mount, home to nearly 60,000 residents and a leader in the economic and cultural revitalization of eastern North Carolina.
Rocky Mount had its beginning in the early part of the 19th century. It centered around the first post office which was established at the Falls of the Tar River on March 22, 1816. It was at that point that the name Rocky Mount appeared in documented history. The Civil War and Reconstruction Era brought hard times to Rocky Mount but the town survived. On February 19, 1867 Rocky Mount was incorporated as a Town.
By the turn of the 20th century, Rocky Mount’s population was approximately 3,000. A main railroad line, a well established cotton mill, and productive farmland were major contributors to the area’s growth and prosperity. To encourage and promote further growth and development, the Chamber of Commerce was established in 1904.
In 1970 and again in 1999, Rocky Mount was named an All-America City. The little town built upon a rock had become the progressive city on the Great Falls of the Tar. The 70’s also brought a new post office building, completion of Nash General Hospital, a new campus for Nash Community College, recreational use of the reservoir on the Tar River, a new water plant, the Rocky Mount-Wilson airport and new highways. The 80’s brought in a new regional shopping mall located on Wesleyan Boulevard and an athletic center on Hardee’s Boulevard. Today, the city continues to grow and prosper.